“Mathematical fairness is not the same as justice.” — @merbroussard author of Artificial Unintelligence, keynoting @SocHistTech @hssonline joint annual meeting online, and starting out with the example of the algorithmic grading scandal #hst20 #shotvf20

“Where do these false concepts of objectivity in data science come from? Why do we keep making the SAME mistakes?” Technochauvinism puts computers in driver’s seat, over people, because of mistaken belief they are always better for the task at hand than human labor— @merbroussard

Going back to the beginning of the field of AI/ML, Broussard points out, there was a ton of reward for blue sky thinking from a group of elite white men, who encountered little or no consequences for failure, and shaped our “sci fi” vision of the future as a frictionless utopia

“At one point Minsky said ‘look whatever you think about this just play along—because it gets funding.’” Key problem in early AI that continues today: overfunding of AI research has encouraged sloppy work—and the reinvention of race science & phrenology using computational tools

In addition, “we know gender is a spectrum, not a binary, and yet our computational systems are stuck in reifying a gender binary and building on it” says @merbroussard, a former (and current) programmer #HST20 #shotvf20 @SocHistTech @hssonline

What would an FDA for algorithmic tools and products look like? For all the racist algorithmic products used in policing? What about a “nutritional information” panel for algorithms? We need tools to surface and measure—then curtail these harms through regulation says Broussard

“Assume discrimination is the default in all automated systems” says @Ruha9. And @merbroussard agrees, noting that discriminating and taxonomizing is literally what these systems are SUPPOSED TO DO in order to function and make decisions #HST20 #shotvf20

Broussard points out technochauvinism is NOT the same as technological determinism because that earlier concept does NOT take into account or address the racism, sexism, & white supremacy in the room when we talk about technological tools leading social conversations #HST20

Omg @proginequality just got a shoutout from @merbroussard along with the work of luminaries like @safiyanoble @ruha9 @cmcilwain @PopTechWorks @emilychangtv @zeynep @mathbabedotorg #HST20 #shotvf20

Broussard gives a hilarious but horrifying anecdote of a friend building a pool house but not hooking up the sink drains right and so the foundation rotted. Right now, she warns, tech and mainstream data scientists are “not hooking up the plumbing right” #HST20 #shotvf20

She also points out news media are enabling an impending disaster for historians, by how they collect current news content—the systems for collecting are broken & partial. So even our ability to talk about what has happened is being eroded by failures in digital tools #HST20

The theme of the question and answer session is: “oh god we’re fucked... please tell us how to fix this!!!” so Dr. Broussard is being asked some extremely tough questions—and giving brilliant, barn-burner answers @SocHistTech @merbroussard @hssonline #HST20 #shotvf20

Important to note how interdisciplinary & field-spanning @merbroussard’s references are—in addition to books she mentioned before she also highlights critically important work of @jovialjoy @timnitGebru @AINowInstitute @Data4BlackLives @datasociety @centerforcrds #HST20 #shotvf20

Dr. Broussard says we need so many different alliances of likeminded people converging from different fields, making their voices heard in democratic governance of tech to end our current regime of tech oligarchs

She also says: “history is where we need to start” #HST20

Thank you, Professor @merbroussard, for an amazing, inspiring talk and q&a about tough issues, during a very difficult time. It was the highlight of my week, and I’m sure of many other folks in @SocHistTech and @hssonline feel the same. #HST20 #shotvf20

YES. Very glad @SocHistTech plans to do this #hst20 #shotVF20 https://twitter.com/orbital_decay/status/1314626189416443904